The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-13
COON HUNTING DOWN EAST.
FAMOUS COON DOCS OF THE DEVILS
HOP YARD IN CONNECTICUT

NORWICH, Nov. s.-Connecticut has long
been famous for raising very big crops OF big,
fat coons. but the magnitude OF the yield this
season causes even veteran coon hunters to
open their eyes in astonishmont and to COM
ment: II mover saw the like Of 1t nfore."
Coons are everywhere A patch OF woods big
enough to support one gray squirrel and family
Ia compelled this year to sustain one coon and
family. too. There is something the matter
with tho dog, or the tracking Is phenomenally
poor. II hunter cannot bag n coon any night
within mile and half OF this city, and dozen
miles to the westward. In tho craggy valleys OF
salem. the Lymes and in East Haddam. n dog
that shows his master less than four or five
coons after a nights hunt Is thrashed and
seriously informed that he Is cur.
The reason why coons nre 80 plentiful this
year no ono attempts to give: they simply arc
80, and sportsmen are making the most OF tho
situation. The game Is hunted every decent
night In every country town in this part OF the
State, and the uble-bodied males Of all the
rural districts now habitually wear half
somnolent look In the day on account OF ex-
cessive night work. Tho coon season sets in in
this State about the middle OF September and
continues until cold weather. but the farmers
do not make business Of the sport until after
tumn chores hnve boon done. A coon, Is
!wsen s Is snd Sev u.s. anS being stuffed
iS OF pa @ m r ah
alter tho dogs sse ones get on nj his tra His wits
are not SO sharp either, and usually as soon as
the Art hue and cry Of lot 81
dies away into the hcart q the most eonyenent
an eVers I or black oak treo, and waits for
the chase. If the night s starlIt It is an easy
a charge Of No. q shoi driven BY SH drachms OF
a hHs shot this n, Tf Y u Sas ss s
can bear, then he topples GO, contentediy oyer yer
deeayed pumpkin rolling out Of = cart: He
and ns sns oar tpped with sharp
hooks shoot out Just In time to catch two dogs
that have been shs for hs
dog loses several pieces Of MS hide. or 9 bit q
spin, dogs snarlinE and swapping; coon biting
and striking and srlHtt.sring, and the reyGlu u.
jaws Of his fierce foes. Aftertho game has been
KILLED Of Tie hunters i hs
The best coon country in Connecticut Is the
c5Ss xSsaG
Of a land that coon revels and RroTs fat In.
where raise inc FOR
there are almost impenetrable swamps, to
which coons can retire IN tines q stress there
%adnx ssef and and are
fifti tree into Which 4 coon. can slip In ths
early morning after q night Of 1t in the corn lot
esy a. this city and six
!aiisy, q singular formation that y Senarkabls
Ts sss
Is the centre OF tract OF country OF legendary
hunted from an GoG immemorial p Time At the
jagged throat in the hills over boulders and
milo In width in its broadest part. and PUSHES
The
almost seamless walls Of block granite; the
;,I tain are begirt By wide Wilderness.
the 81
ASp YsSd. : sslIea SsSsSss If dey ia
2 romantic gentlemen in black With horns on
with the envIroning country. the paradise q
coon hunters and the nursery OF typical coon
S cs se eH sFs a
i fegaifss a extraordinary dog for hunting
Of the fox, too. in batiine pursuit. II .thsre il
dog It is not known: A setter or pointer may
do artistic work in his own field that no other
dog ry and 9f be ss
9 cross from al! other hunting dogs. and there
up, yet no one can SOY Just what Il is that
makes him great in his profession. There are
BORN. not made. He Is the scotoSmsn, Or
Yankee la Of the t canine spesies-9ne trait hs
Tss re- the
best est coon :. dqgs There are Re-. probably dozen
one or two Of the number 500 bill would APP
Change hogmsy sSsssy
coats and mild brown eyes; and another is ap-
Shepherd dog; In the head Of each. Just above
the eyes, is a bump that sticks out Ike knob
tain the combination that is set for coona,
without which they would not be worth $50
the Village d1ss
two by noted coon hunters at North Plains.
Else snee the r rs Scober but
he coons. There is little money in hunting
:omary each Jail for hunters to driye out to the
yard from this city, New London. Middletown.
and from Moodus and the Haddams on the
River for night of coon hunting.
and the local hunters act as guides. In this
heir masters. There Is something wrong with
PARTIES returns at daylight with less. than from
our to ten coons. The hunters 20 home with
animal is carefully dressed BY caterer
md rooster. and at night the party and
heir friends have a coon supper. which
hey wash down with mugs q beer.
,ures rarely express similar opinion about
he flavor OF roast coon; some think 1t re.
,ess to that Of mutton, still others say that II
'avors OF bears meat; and few profess to find
layors. Many other men who have made des,
,erate efforts to eat n coon supper confess that
hey would rather try woodchuck or black
'at next time
Several parties from this city have visited
no hop yard this season. and all have been
uccessfu beyond their brightest authorizations.
no other part of the State 80 abounds
2 eoons as the country ABOUT the hop yard.
Ilong tho Connecticut and Thames Rivera